Facilis Descensus Averno
by Epistolize
Summary: everyone has that one person they can't stand to lose. with them, even the most unspeakable horrors are just a small obstacle. after a fatal accident in camp, Malcolm finds himself alone, and on the path to destruction. until one drunken night, he bumps into one specific "Aphrodite spawn" who is determined to to help him get of that path. eventual matchell
1. Chapter 1

"Pace!" someone yells banging on the door of the cabin

I groan and roll over in my bed. Feeling the sunlight on my face

"Get the fuck up already" he yells, banging on the door again

I hear a female voice tell him something that I can't quite make out, and the banging stops. I consider waking up but decide that against it.

"malc?" calls the female voice, who I can now recognize as my girlfriend , Alex. "You awake?"

"No" I call back

The door creaks as she opens it, her footsteps draw nearer. The bed springs groan as she sits.

"Go away" I mutter pulling the blanket over my head "I'm sleeping"

"I know" she replies cheerfully. Suddenly I feel my pillow slide out from under my head, as I try to hold it in place, she pulls my blanket off, and suddenly I'm lying in an empty bed. Shit

"Nice boxers" comments Adrian, still holding my pillow, "red is a good color on you" Alex laughs, and I feel my face heat up.

"Fuck you" I tell him, and in response he throws the pillow back at my face. I lift a hand to stop it, a second to late, and the pillow hits my face at full force.

Sitting up, I reach for my glasses on the bedside, groping around on the table until I find them.

The bed groans again as Alex gets up, I watch as she goes over to my stack of clothing and pulls out a tee shirt, and pants. Which she throws over to me, I catch them, and put them on as she continues going through my things.

I hear Adrian leave muttering something about meeting us at breakfast.

She stops at one of the photos. The one of us, from last summer, right before the battle of Manhattan, in the picture we're sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, outside the empire state building, her head leaning on my shoulder.

"Who took this?" she asks holding it up

"Michael" I tell her my voice cracking,

I could almost feel the weight of her head on my shoulder, the click of the disposable camera behind us,

"I chased him down afterwards, he gave me the camera, told me to keep it safe in case…" I trail off

"Oh" she said softly, as she set the picture down, and kept going through rest of the pictures. Most of them where of us.

"Breakfast then?" I ask as she put the pictures down,

"Lead the way"

"Of course m'lady" I say tilting an imaginary hat

The door creaks once again as I open it, the cool morning air rushing forwards to meet us, I hold the door open for her, and together we go to breakfast.

* * *

One of the things I hate about camp half blood is the seating arraignment at the meals. I mean, why can't we sit where we want, it not like I have anything against my siblings, but can't I want to talk with some people who aren't related.

I complained about it to Adrian before, but he just laughed saying I just wanted to sit with Alex, maybe I did, but that wasn't the point.

By the time Alex and I get to the dinning pavilion, most of the campers where already seated and eating,

"See you later?" she asks me, right before we part ways

"Sure" I tell her, giving her a quick kiss.

"ewwww" one of the younger kids at a near bye table makers a face.

I hear Alex laugh as she makes her way to her table. I give the kid a quick wave, before going over to the Athena table, I stack some waffles and strawberries onto my plate from a passing nymph, and go over to the brazier in the center of the room and drop in half a waffle and a strawberry. Here you go mom.

I slide into the seat in front of Annabeth

"Morning" I tell her

"Hey" she replies, distractedly. I follow her gaze to Percy sitting at his table, alone. Another example of the flawed seating arrangements. I turn back to my table.

"Black coffee" I tell the goblet in front of me, and watch as the dark liquid slowly fills up the cup,

Since Annabeth seems a bit distracted I turn to the next nearest person, Ryan. One of the newer arrivals, a tall lanky kid, with the same grey eyes and blond hair as the rest of us. Who at the moment seemed to be trying to eat and solve a four on four Rubik's cube at the same time.

"Spin the top to the twice to the right" I advise him.

"Thanks" he flips the cube to the side, and using the elbow of his eating had to press the cube to the edge of the table, and with his free and he spun the part that had previously been the top, twice.

* * *

Right before nine, the results of cabin inspection were up, Aphrodite at the top with nine out of ten, Hermes on the bottom with a negative three. Nothing unusual.

"Yay, extra chores" I hear someone behind me mutter

I turn around and find Ellis Wakefield, from the Ares cabin, standing behind me. Glaring at the results.

"Well you know" I start "if you actuall-"

"Yeah, yeah yeah, I know, if we cleaned the shithole, we'd get a better score and not be pathetic failures"

Not exactly the words I'd choose. But that was basically it. From my experience, most of the Ares kids didn't think cleaning was a worthwhile activity. For them, making an effort meant shoving everything under the beds, and hoping that another cabin did worse.

It worked sometimes.

I start making my way back to the cabin, to grab my stuff for the morning lesson. By now previously cool morning, has turned to more of a hot, humid, late summer day, the sun was beating down, and the patches of shade where slowly getting smaller and smaller.

Entering the cabin, I got over to my things and grab what I need for ancient Greek. A notebook, some pencils, and the book.

i start towards the Hermes cabin, to find Alex, and together we make our way to the lesson.

 **i was scrolling though the pjo fics, and i reached the conclusion that there is a lack stories featuring Malcolm, especially in the M category. so here is my take on it.**

 **feel free to let me know if you notice any spelling/grammar errors.**


	2. Chapter 2

"We're on laundry with cabin sixteen today" Annabeth announces as we all gather outside the cabin, and we all groan. Laundry is bad enough, and cabin 16 doesn't quite have enough members to make an actual difference.

she takes charge, sending each of us to a cabin to go pick up the laundry bags.

"Malcolm" she calls "cabin 11"

No surprises there, she always sends me to the Hermes cabin, because due to having the most members, the produce the most laundry. On the bright side though, my chances of seeing Alex where quite large, since it was her cabin.

I cut across to the cabin, and try the door, which happened to be locked, I bang on the door.

A few seconds later I hear the click of the lock and the door creaks open.

"Alex isn't here" tells me the guy who opened the door, I know he's one of the Stolls, but I have no clue which.

"I'm actually here for laundry" I say sticking my hand out to stop the door from closing.

"Oh, one sec" he looks a bit skeptical, but turns back into the cabin to go get the laundry sack.

I look around at the cabin, as he throws a few last second things in. it's been less than 30 minutes since cabin inspection, and the cabin is already back to its normal mess, barely any of the beds are made, the floor is covered in stuff, ranging from notebooks and pencils, to weapons and pieces of armor. I look down and notice a half-eaten chocolate bar right next to my feet.

"Here you go" the unidentified Stoll says handing me the sack of laundry. I take it a flip it over my shoulder and make my way down towards the lake.

By the time I get there, Annabeth and two of the nemesis kids had already hung the clothing lines. A few minutes later Ryan and the last nemesis kids arrive with the buckets and the soap.

I grab a bucket fill it up with water from the lake, and get to work.

* * *

With the help of multiple nymphs, by 11:30, all 20 sacks worth of laundry in hanging on the clothing lines according to cabins. Around 200 orange shirts in various stages of fading, Almost the same amount of pants, a bit of casual clothing, a few sets of pjs, and a shit ton of socks. Then to top it all off, the undergarments; the bras, panties, boxers, briefs, tank tops, undershirts.

Fun.

I start on my way, jogging to the archery range, hoping I didn't miss too much of the lesson. Because truth be told, I'm kinda shit at archery. And because I know Alex is there today as well.

I get there and grab a handful of arrows with green shafts, and go over to where Alex, Adrian and Kayla, one of the Apollo girls are taking turns shooting at the target.

As I walk up to them Adrian notches a red arrow, and aims it towards the target, I can already tell his arrow isn't going to make it to the target. He loosens the arrow, and while his shot does go in the right direction, mostly. Instead of cutting straight across, and hitting the target. His arrow goes up in a steep incline. Which is followed by an even steeper decline, plunging down into the dirt, roughly halfway to the target

"Nice arch" I comment. "Soon enough you'll be able to shoot backwards"

"Shut up"

Alex leans her head onto my shoulder, as he lines up for another shot, pulls back the arrow.

"Try aiming it a bit lower" suggests Kayla. "So it flies more forwards, less up"

He loosens the arrow, this time instead of wasting time going up, it goes straight down, planting face first, once again, into the dirt, a only this time its bit farther away than his previous shot.

"At least you're getting closer to the target"

Kayla sighs, as she goes to collect the arrow. We probably seem like complete idiots to her.

Adrian hands me the bow "20 bucks says your sorry ass can't do better"

"Hmm" I muse "five feet, I can't possibly beat a record like that" I'm stalling and we both know that

"20 that he can" Alex cuts in, I could literally kiss her right now. Despite the fact that she's probably about to lost 20 bucks.

"Three tries" I ask

he looks over at the target, and at the arrows littering the range, "fine"

Kayla coughs behind us. After a moment of thought I take the bow and go over to stand in front of the target, I hand Kayla the extra arrows. And get in position.

Lining up the shot, I know in theory, how far I need to pull back the arrow, and how high to aim. But I doubt I can actually hit the shot, somehow, no matter how much I try, my arrows never flies straight, always veering off in another direction, usually the left.

No time like the present. I let go of the arrow.

Sure enough, the arrow veers of course, had it flown in the right direction, it would have probably hit the target. But instead it lands two lanes over to the left. Shit.

I hear Adrian slow clap behind me, "bravo, truly amazing"

"I'm just getting started" I assure him, Kayla raises an eyebrow

"Try facing sideways"

I look over at Kayla hopefully.

"No"

"Come on" I plea

"Would you turn away from a monster in a fight" she questions

"Maybe?" I try

She looks at me skeptically "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't recommend it"

"Fine" I mutter, bending down to grab another arrow.

As I notch the arrow, I try to pay more attention to my body, making sure I'm pulling the arrow back as straight as I can. Anchoring it right below my chin.

I let go of the arrow,

Once again. The arrow veers off to the left.

"Dude, stop shooting into our lane" someone yells

"Whoops" I yell back "I was trying to hit you, but you kept on moving away"

I pick up my final arrow, and take a deep breath as I line up for my next shot

"Anyone have any last words of wisdom" I ask

"Hit the target" suggests Alex "I don't actually have 20"

"Lovely" I mutter. And with that I let go of the arrow. Watching it as it veers off course. Again.

"Pay up losers."

 **so yeah this was chapter 2. I have no clue about archery, and i didn't have WiFi to do some research at the time, so its all purely guesswork.**

 **as usual feel free to point out any spelling/grammar mistakes.**


	3. Chapter 3

After Greek mythology, I choose to ditch the hike and picnic, and instead I grab a blanket, and go find Alex, we set up our picnic, which consists of some strawberries from the fields, and some rice cakes from the camp store.

"Seriously" asks Alex, as she takes them out of my bag "rice cakes"

I shrug "it was either that or those weird whole wheat and quinoa crackers.

"You really know how to make a girl swoon" she tells me

I look around, old blanket where sitting on, the rice cakes and the strawberries. "Whoops"

She laughs, as I pull her into a kiss.

We don't actually touch any of the food, at some point I accidentally knock over the bag of rice cake, and it rolls off to somewhere.

After what feels like only minutes we hear the campers returning from the hike.

"Get a room you two" someone yells "there are children around"

We suddenly break apart, faces flushed, lips swollen.

Blushing, Alex adjusts her shirt.

"Well, um…I guess we should…" I trail off. Probably blushing just as much as she is.

She nods, still blushing furiously, and together we gather up our things.

* * *

'Lunch' is followed by activities hour, which today for us, is at the climbing wall.

The large contraption looms in front of us, over 40 feet of well... wall. Some of it with handholds, parts of it with less. Random parts jutting out. Inverted slopes…

However designed it, an architectural genius he was not. But after all it does serve its purpose.

a few years ago the wall had to parts, the beginner wall, and the intermediate. But recently, due to popular demand Chiron had decided to add another part. The advanced, roughly two thirds up, there's a red piece of tape marking the highest a camper had ever gotten.

"It's moved up a bit" observes Alex, staring up at it.

I look at it as well, and sure enough, it's been moved up a bit.

We watch the three campers currently on the wall. I recognize one of them as one of the Stolls, possibly the one from before. A few feet below him, and to the right, there's another camper, one I don't recognize. And then barely off the ground, there's Adrian.

"You're almost there" I call to him. "Just a few more feet"

He grunts as he tries to pull himself up to the next hold. Expect he misjudged the distance, and instead his foot slides against the wall in trying to find the foothold that isn't there.

"Fuck" he mutters "fuck. Fuck. Fuck." his hand slides out of the hold. And he falls back to the mat.

"you're done" Alex informs him, walking up to the wall.

I hold out a hand to help him up from the mat.

"thanks" he says, as he pull himself up.

we walk over to Alex, who is currently examining the wall.

"Start from that hold on the right. And then the crack on the left" suggests Adrian.

Alex looks over at me, for my opinion.

"Right hand in the cleft." I decide "and then get your left foot onto that ridge"

Adrian snorts behind me.

"What?" I ask

"Cleft and ridge. Seriously?"

"Why not?" I ask

"There are bumps, and there are cracks" he points out a few. "If it sticks out it's a bump, if it goes in, it's a crack"

"First of all, the word you're looking for is indentation" I inform him. "And second, that is most defiantly not a crack" I point at an indentation.

He opens his mouth to reply but before he can, Alex cuts in.

"Ladies, ladies stop arguing, you're both right" she proclaims "no need to fight"

"He started it" I mutter. She doesn't hear me, or just chooses to ignore it.

She stares up at the wall, and takes a deep breath, and reaches for the crevice on the right

"Well, here I go"

We don't tell her good luck.

We don't tell her to be careful.

We don't say anything. Why would we, when we were sure she'd be right back?

We don't think about it, not when she passes the red tape, as the holds get smaller. With barley anything to hold.

Then it happens, as she overreaches for a hold, her foot slips, and for a split second she hangs suspended in the air.

We watch her in what feels like slow motion, twisting in the air helplessly, as her body drops towards the ground, hitting the ground, with a sickening crack.

For a moment we all just stand there, frozen. The sound echoing in the silence.

Then someone screams.

 **so this is it for now.** **i'll try to have the next chapter up by next week.**

 **as usual: thanks for reading, feel free to point out any mistakes**


	4. Chapter 4

**oh my goodness, goodness gracious. its another chapter.**

 **"its only been like a few months so its cool" said no one ever**

 **possibly graphic description in this chapter, i don't really know if it is. but i figured i'd let you folks know.**

 **without further ado...**

 **present chapter 3.**

That night, I can't sleep, every time I close my eyes I see Alex fall, again and again, I try to warn her that the hold is too far, but it gets caught in my throat, and I can only watch as she misses the hold, foot sliding her body suspended in the air for a second, and then plunging down. Followed by the crack, which echoes in my head.

Suddenly I'm the one falling, slamming into the ground at full impact, hearing the crack of bone, followed by sharp pressure. the black dots in the corner of my eyes swell until I see nothing, yet I can hear others gathering around me, I try to call out for help, but I can't. Something warm runs down my face as I grope blindly in the dark, but there's nothing.

I wake up covered in sweat, my head throbbing. Sitting up, I kick off my blanket and stagger towards the bathroom, someone in the bunk next to me stirs.

"Malcom" Annabeth whispers "is everything all right?"

I shake my head before remembering its dark in the room. Somehow I make it to the bathroom, without waking up anyone else. A wave of nausea hits, and I lean over the bathroom and cough up the remains of breakfast. The only thing I ate today. Another wave of nausea hits, and I lean over the toilet preparing for another round, but nothing comes, just a dry cough.

As I brush my teeth I dimly recall the half empty bottle of Benadryl under the sink from when Ryan had allergies, and nothing else helped. My mother's words ring in my head. " _Careful with the dose, you don't want to knock yourself out_ "

 _Maybe I do mom, maybe I do._

I open the first drawer under the sink, and there it is, in the back of the drawer, behind the boxes of Claritin D, and Tylenol chewables.

As we had previously discovered, while demigod medicines seemed to be great for injuries, they did little to nothing for the common cold, flu, and allergies.

Hands shaking I reach for the bottle, cringing at the stickiness on the outside of the bottle. It takes me a few seconds of pointless spinning to remember the kid safe top. _press down and twist to open._

And it works, I squint at the label trying to understand the dosage graph, but the task proves to be too complicated without my glasses, which I left on the windowsill, next to my bed. I can't find a cup either, so even if I could, understand the graph it wouldn't help, so instead, I swing straight from the bottle, wincing at the too sweet taste with the underlying bitterness. And after a moment of thought, I take a second swing. Then I wash my face again and go back to bed.

I don't fall asleep right away, and I can help wondering if I took enough.

 _calm down Malcom, you took 2 swings, that's at least 30 ml, and most medicines don't require more the 15 ml, which means you took already double the rec-_

"oh shut up" I mutter, once again Annabeth stirs.

I roll over on my back. Pushing my blanket off once again.

After a few minutes I pull it back on, and roll over onto my left side. Eventually I can feel my eyes start to get heavy, and I struggle to keep them open for as long as I can, because I know that as soon as I close them what I'll see.

Sometimes, she grasps at the air desperately, other times, she falls limply, already dead. Sometimes I see her face, she tries to say something but I can't hear it, I only see her lips moving. But I can't make out the words.

Eventually I can't fight it anymore, my eyes close, and everything fades.

 **more updates maybe coming soon. but maybe not. i don't know i'm not good at this**

 **note: benadryl is not like apple juice. read the dosage chart thing, and dont overdose. that stuff is bad for you.**

 **on second thought, apple juice is probably also bad, who knows what else is in there.**


End file.
